I love Chess, which is why games like Fire Emblem and Advance Wars are my favorite kinds of RPGs! I use those type of games to explain the appeal of role playing games to my friends who play Chess but don't get RPGs.

I'm pretty sure a "time stop" during combat will make it less action oriented. It's essentially given you a pause in between fights, which can drain from the tension of a battle, where if it were true real time, you would have to think on your feet...unless you pause the game but that's just scrubby.

Turn based has it moments, but i prefer action, hack n' slash. I should be able to avoid all damage and attacks if my skills are good enough, not wait to get pummeled because its "their turn." This ain't no chess match!

I can do both, but action, hack n' slash is much more satisfying in my opinion. Anything with dodges, parries, blocks and counterattacks feels more skill based to me.

for me turn based > real time, favorite go to valkyria chronicle,persona, resonance of fate & fire emblem.

This is how I see it: pure turn based strategy rgs are chess, rpg with an atb interface are speed chess, more action oriented rpgs like the tales games, kotor and xenoblade are chess-boxing and I'm getting sick of this metaphor so I'll say everything else is turkish oil wrestling.

Technically, Valkyria Chronicles is ATBS

Secret of Mana has always had my favorite RPG battle system. Grated, it's flawed, but extremely fun no less. Wish more games played like it; Xenoblade feels similar to it and I love that game as well.

I like turn base, my favorite to this day is still xenogears!! has anyone made one similar? I 2nd like Legend of dragoons system

I hate real time combat but I also hate slow paced turn based systems, both so much that I do not play these games at all.

I do not like all Tactical RPGs, Final Fantasy X / XV and all Tales games for that reason.

But I really like fast paced turn based combat systems like Dragon Quest, Chrono Cross / Trigger, FF1-9, Xenosaga 3, Skies of Arcadia and even FF12 and Xenoblade, or games like Lufia 2 where you just need to hold down the L-button to get combat done.

I do not like them in a box.  I would not, could not with a fox!

Has anyone played the strategy board game Diplomacy? There are videogame versions. I don't play it much but it is quite strategic and I wanted to bring it up because I feel its system is different from those of RPGs discussed here.

In videogame form, it would be a SRPG a la Fire Emblem with a chess style system, with troops on a map like Total War's campaigns. But actions are performed in phases rather than turns. Each player inputs orders for the troops on the field, and then at the end of the phase all actions are executed simultaneously with rules regulating any interactions that arise.

It's different from turn based strategy or real time strategy with pauses.